Nature's therapy

Still recuperating from a nasty flu-like cold bug & tonsillitis, on Wednesday 29th March, an alarm calling Long-tailed Tit and 2 Greenfinches revealed a black & white cat visitor from next door but one on Thursday 30th March in the warmth the first Bee fly of the year seen plus the Blue Tits are nest building nearby. Plus it was pleasing to hear a singing Chiff-Chaff just to the west of the garden, maybe the visitor from Tuesday?

Welcome Chiff- Chaff in garden

I have gone down with Tonsillitis and a very heavy cold, so too ill too bird (that's why I wasn't twtching the AlpSwifts at Cromer at the weekend) so it was heartening to see a wonderful Chiff- Chaff feeding on insects at 12.30pm today on the rose bushes just in front of the kitchen window as I was preparing a Lem-sip drink. It later flew to the back of the garden and was seen flitting about there and then a bush on the left of the garden near the back. This is the first sighting of one in the garden since 2020 after the horrible new housing estate was built on Fallowfields which led to a massive drop in bio- diversity within the garden (less butterflies, birds, dragonflies).

Firecrest trio: special offer 3 for 1 at Asda!

My especial thanks to Rob H whose fabulous picture had adorned the header of this blog!, but no longer! On Saturday 25th March, after hearing of a Great Spotted Cuckoo at Easton bavents on Friday, I got up early and decided to have breakfast at lowestoft Asda and await news, initial news was negative, so on opening the door, near the Pines. I heard a crest calling and indeed singing and it sounded like a Firecrest, looking at the 3rd Pine from the east it was indeed a fine male Firecrest and it was feeding on insects around the middle and around the trunk of the tree it was seen from time to time, it flew east to the second tree. Yet a crest still calling from the third tree, proved to be a second male Firecrest, I checked the second tree and the male Firecrest was still there. I was soon joined by other birders including Rob H and one of the Firecrests flew to a tree near the river, later on we saw a third, a female Fircrest and that flew to a Pine nearer the Asda store where Rob obtained his fantastic shot, lovely to find a trio of Firecrests! Checking hamilton Dock, I saw a flock of 17 Chaffinch flying south and 42 Turnstones near the Birds Eye factory and then they flew to the 'finger' at Ness Point. Later in the afternoon, a Chiff- Chaff was heard singing on Gunton Heath & a Green Woodpecker was heard at the Gunton Woodland burial.

Benacre in days of yore!

On Sunday 19th March, a tweet from Rob Wil and by 8.30am I was watching from Gunton cliffs a fine distant flock of 20 Bewick's Swans in a tight group way out on the sea, there were 3 immature birds with them, too. I then went to the layby saw Jeremy who said the Stork was still perched in a tree, looking out from the far end of the layby, the White Stork was perched on a bendy bough of a branch of a tree further back than its usual daed tree. Driving round to just before The Street between Alder and Church farms, stopping to talk to david B and his wife looking into a cow field I saw on the right side of the field near the fence a flock of Wagtails including 3 fine White Wagtails (2 males and 1 female). To the south a flock of 45 and 60 Redwings were sen flying north. David and his wife left and I suddenly heard the rasping of a super Brambling and looking west I could see it perched in a tree, but it then promptly flew north-east into a wood. The white rump clearly seen as it flew. David B and his wife reappeared as did Matthew D and we suddenly saw the Stork initially flying west and then it turned south and then flew right over us and then towards Alder Farm again it then circjled higher went south and then over us again and then towards Alder Farm, where we saw it being mobbed by a Red Kite! It then flew south. Meanwhile in the field a flock of 40+ Linnets seen and they were joined by 30+ Chaffinches. We heard chackling sounds and a flock of 110+ Fieldfares flew east over out heads! This was like Benacre in the days of yore! Later on in the afternoon, a look around, Hamilton Dock was fruitless, same at Ness Point save for my first female Black Redstart of the year perched briefly on Semblemarine SLP roof, nothing at Net posts either.

Early bird catches the Stork!

On Saturday 18th March, I was down by the layby by 7.30am and The excellent White Stork was very briefly on the ground before flying up to the dead tree. Andrew E joined me and while we were watching it, A male Yellowhammer was perched on top of a bush in the far ground and the first Chiff- Chaff of the year was heard singing. The White Stork perched near the top, looking around and then flapping its wings. At 8.12am, it then flew circled flew over us and west towards Henstead village & beyond. I then went onto Minsmere, a quick comfort break just as I turned off towards Minsmere revealed a fine Woodcock flying south along the road and over the heath. At Minsmere, no sign of any Cranes from Whin Hill lookout under the Sand Martin cliff, typically no sign of any Adders & on the walk to North hide, I saw and heard an active Chiff- Chaff singing, nothing really seen on the scrape, save for 3 adult summer Mediterranean Gulls & 3 Black- tailed Godwit. Walking back to the car park, a singing Coal Tit seen in a tree and a Marsh Tit visited the feeders. Overall, a very disappointing trip to Minsmere particularly when I heard the Cranes, Goosander and the Black Adder were seen later in the day.

Fog!

On Friday 17th March, a mad dash down to the Kessingland Levels layby failed to reveal the White Stork although mist and thick fog were drawing a shroud over the landscape.

Twite & Velvet Scoters at Dunwich

On Sunday 11 March, I waited for news of the Twite as I was convinced the sea surge might have caused havoc at Dunwich/ Walberswick plus I was really tired from the previous day driving back from Bath (inc the A143 diversion around Bury st. Edmunds) I arrived at Dunwich car park just after 10am and intially saw very little no twite or Scoter were seen, but a Great White Egret seen in the mid distance pools. All that changed when I heard a shout from the Fergusons back from their holiday up north, and standing on the ridge they were peering out to sea. Looking distantly, north towards Southwold, I saw the 150 strong Scoter flock with helpfully most birds sitting up and flapping their wings showing square white wing flashes on at least 3 birds, 3 fine Velvet Scoters. We walked about a kilometre and a half north where the grass ran out and checked the salt marh pools, we saw a flock of Linnets flying around and we thought we saw 2 slightly smaller more compact birds with them but they were only seen in flight. Until we walked back and they were on the beach near the ridge but a dog walker flushed the 8 birds we thought that was it. Until we walked almost back to the car park and saw a small group of birds peering at 2 birds feeding on the inland grassy pathway they were the 2 fine Twite. Typically brown birds with a pale warm brown face, yellow bills and pink rumps, they were quite small and a delight to see they were reasonably confiding but a close approach wasn't possible as they prefereed a 15- 20 metre distance and Sky Larks feeding before them also meant staying put, an ethical approach to photography (field craft) and making sure the birds weren't flushed. They fed for a few minutes before a crazy dog walker who had admonished us earlier for not being dog walkers and littering plastic on the beach (yes, correct we are not dog walkers but no...I/we have never littered, ever!) The birds then flew but we picked them up slightly further south feeding at the inland foot of the ridge where they fed for a while before she again drove her dog and flushed them again. We later heard she had a go at the very mild mannered JP as well, there are some crazy people about, she obviously doesn't like birders. Fortunately, the birds were seen on the ridge again feeding and they later flew down onto the grassy dune again before finally a family of walkers heading straight towards them pushed a little further north. Will this be the last time we see Twite at Dunwich? I sincerely hope not. I also saw a Water Pipit on the pools too.

North Sea surge spells clear out

On Friday 10th March, mid afternoon after I had completed the long drive from the fine roman spa town of Bath, where I had visited to have lunch with a relative and to see Professor Sir Christopher frayling give a talk on 100 Years of Vampire Cinema, Sir Christopher is a speaker I have always wanted to see, his 'Face of Tutankhamun' programme got me seriously into Ancient Egypt and public speaking! I also enjoyed his "Nightmare: The Birth of Horror' series that followed. His lecture certainly didn't disappoint it was one of the best I have ever since and a real privilege to see this storyteller, raconteur and cultural historian in action. I even asked the first questions about why hadn't the actual town of Whitby with its picturesque locations featured in more Dracula films bar 2. Sir Christopher agreed with me and even suggested a future film could start with the SS demeter crashing into Whitby harbour and the action starts there! At the end I was first up to get his latest book signed and I asked him about "The Face of Tutankhamun" whose idea was it? (first 2 episodes the producers but it was Sir Christopher's to look at the cultural impact. He'd even suggested to the BBC of repeating it (for 100the anniversary last year but the repeat clip fees for the Universal Mummy film were too much for the BBC to pay, sadly). I visited Hamilton Dock but no sign of the Cuddy Duck and no Purple sandpipers at Ness Point, the sea was very rough with waves crashing over the rocks and making any walking along the Point quite dangerous. Instead, I visited Link's road car park and nice to see some bush saplings planted around the margins, let's hope they planted the right mixture of trees/ shrubs and they survive vandalism/ sea air. On the car park itself amongst the BH Gulls was a Common Gull and 1 fine adult almost full summer plumaged unringed Mediterranean Gull. Car used as a mobile photography hide once more!

Male Eider in Hamilton Dock

On Sunday 5th March, I drove down and parked by Hamilton road, I walked to the east end and saw the fine male Eider was sat/ stood on the concrete balustrade. It stood up and then flopped into the dock and swam and eventually started fishing really close in by the bay. It was catching lots of crabs at least a dozen were caught during the 2 hour period of observation. It would dive for several minutes typically resurfacing with a crab caught by its legs it would then shake it vigorously just beneath the surface and then it would swallow the body whole. It then swam close into the shore and finally got up into the close by bay and settled down. It was good to see David B and his wife who had initially missed the bird and only came back when they saw me peering over the fence snapping the bird when it rested on the concrete balustrade then later on to meet Rihanna, who has already built up an impressive library of local bird pictures and then Roger and Jon.

Waxwings at last but Goosander takes flight

On Saturday 4th March, driving to Hollow Grove Way/ Beccles Road junction, I parked up and immediately I heard trilling calls. tell tail signs that the Waxwings were flying in in the company of Feral Pigeons, the 5 Waxwings alighted in a tree by the edge of Beccles Road. 2 flew over and briefly fed on the berries. I then drove to Belvedere road and checked from the Dead end at Oulton Broad but no sign of the Goosander, I walked around and no sign of the Goosander by the boats at the Boulevard and then Oulton Broad but again no sign. A tweet from RCS stated first the Goosander was by the boats, absolutely no sign for me and then 10. minutes later he tweeted saying it flew east down Lake Lothing. I checked Leathes Ham and no sign there either. A tweet in the afternoon from Julie and I joined her, Andrew and James C, the fine male Eider was the far side of Hamilton Dock by the beach, it finally walked onto the rocks and settled down.